TH Thranduil's Promise
by VioletVision
Summary: Ship AU: Thranduil must allow a powerful Elfmaiden into Mirkwood. He is not prepared for the hotness and anguish that will ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 1: Dispatch**

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **at some point…Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, AU

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden in Rivendell

**Summary:** Ship AU – Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I always wondered why they (and by they…you know of whom I speak) didn't name a lot of the women, so I have given the Elfmaiden a name and back story to go with the pretty face from the journey of Arwen. And in keeping with the tradition, I will delay naming her till the next chapter. I'm also playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. Update: I did a little rewriting on these first 4 chapters.

Elrond mentally raised an eyebrow at Thranduil. "Need I remind you of your promise?"

Thranduil did not respond, and instead he froze holding a jug of wine. They had been talking using Elrond's renowned abilities at telepathic communication and now Thranduil knew he came to his point.

Elrond continued. "My people died in the keeping of the promise and now they die again from the lack of you keeping yours."

The words dug deep into Thranduil's mind causing a flash of memory. Thranduil's hand slackened causing the jug to drop from his hand. It was something that had not happened in thousands of years. Thranduil was definitely not known for being clumsy or easily shaken.

The splash of red liquid that covered the floor and sprinkled on his silver boots reminded him of the bloody war that he almost lost…so long ago.

Images of the Great Fire Serpents of the North assaulted him in flickering dizzying procession – the smell of ash then that of flame that mercilessly consumed the world he knew and loved.

Thranduil clenched his teeth pulling back from the inferno and waited a minute to respond. "Not a lack, but a mere pause."

Instead of replying this time, Elrond held back and let Thranduil have some mental room. If he wanted a pause then he would give him one to punctuate it. He knew it would work better than yelling. But, Elrond hoped he did not overdo it with the mental prompt because he had no wish to push his old ally too far. And so he waited knowing that Thranduil was patient and might decide to wait days or years before responding to spite him if he lost his temper.

Thranduil kicked his boot to get the last few drops of red wine off and stepped back so his lavish trailing robe would not be spoiled. "Very well. One and only one may enter my realm."

Elrond nodded. "She has already been dispatched and has been ridding the lands in between mine and yours of the giant spiders. I will signal her to enter Mirkwood."

Elrond thought he heard teeth grinding and knew that response in person usually meant death. Elrond would have preferred hearing one of his explosive rants. He had actually expected it then thought it would be followed with being told that Thranduil would pick the time.

"I will meet with her first." Thranduil punctuated the words like daggers in Elrond's mind.

Elrond felt the snap of the communication a moment later and now both of his eyebrows went up as he held his head that felt as if it had been chopped off. Elrond chanted healing, but stopped when the pain did not dissipate.

He had no idea that Thranduil held telepathic abilities, and he knew that even Galadriel and Celeborn did not know this information either. From the force of the separation, it was obvious Thranduil was rather gifted. Elrond didn't understand why Thranduil would hide such power then he remembered who he was thinking about and how he savored an advantage. Elrond wondered if Thranduil had more subtle mental gifts and if he could have been gently probing his mind because Elrond had not put protection in place because he had always believed Thranduil did not posses this gift. He would not make that mistake in the future.

Elrond gripped the rail not even seeing the breathtaking view from his personal terrace. "Stay where you are just out of Mirkwood. I believe he is coming to you. I fear he is very unhappy about this and just revealed to me his telepathic abilities may surpass my own." He shifted his stance. "No king likes to have it pointed out that they cannot handle their own affairs. I will send another to replace you. Tell him you are leaving and that I send another. A Great Eagle can carry someone there by the end of the day." Elrond had held back issuing it as a formal order and kept it more casual.

A female voice floated back to Elrond. "I am not leaving. He needs assistance, and I will supply it. My mother died helping him defeat the dragons. In the moments before her death, she gave his people their future."

"I am aware." He leaned more heavily on the rail remembering that her mother had died and so had his own wife just a day before that.

"The Elvenking was wounded holding them back giving her those last few moments. Even then after she succeeded and her life was all but gone, he still tried to protect her. He carried her body back to the healers and demanded they save her. She was mostly intact, so there was a faint chance." She tried to hold back tears.

Elrond felt the impact of her words and could not reply. He still carried guilt knowing that his promise had sealed her fate causing her to be orphaned. His daughter was her best friend and so he raised her from that point forward as his own daughter. Smaug being slain a couple of years ago had started her nightmares again. He wondered what impact it had upon the Elvenking to have had a dragon so close to his current home.

The feminine voice continued. "She was intact, and that was more than I could say for him. His skin and muscles were melted off of almost half his body. But, he wouldn't let them spend one moment on him. He made them all focus on her, and it was almost enough. Almost." Her mental words weakened only becoming a whisper at the end, so she pulled herself back from the heartache to strengthen her words. "It is only fitting that I was dispatched to assist him with the spider nests that keep flourishing for some reason. It is a way of repaying what he tried and did do for me. He gave me a second. To say goodbye."

Elrond lowered his head knowing that she was not speaking about facts that had been relayed to her. She had hidden in a shipment of fruit for the troops and had watched the things of which she now spoke. She was nothing more than a little girl who could do nothing but cry as she watched the valiant king who by all accounts shouldn't have been even able to stand…but he managed to remove her mother from the battle. And Elrond knew from looking into her memory that for a moment just a moment her eyes locked with her mother's just before they closed for the last time.

And in that second of time between mother and daughter, he felt the push that her mother had sent into her mind. It was love. Complete and unwavering love. It had wrapped around her like a warm hug and seeped away as her life dwindled.

Elrond felt even more regret and anxiety about his choice to send her to Mirkwood even though she was the best he had. He knew she revered Thranduil and if he acted against her that she might not defend herself. He knew the Elvenking was in no mood to be merciful. He never was, but especially not now. "I should not have sent you. He is angry."

"When is he not?" She pulled her black cloak more securely around herself. "I want to be here, and I know how he is. I have not been that innocent little child that played hide and seek the fireflies with Arwen for quite some time now. I know that he is capable of almost anything, but kindness. Her sacrifice and death broke my heart ripping me out of my childish mind, but it hardened his to the point that he has lost himself. I shall wait for him and assume he wants to kill me. Does that make you feel better my Lord?"

Elrond pulled back from the connection, so she would not get an impression of his feelings. He blinked out at the morning light knowing that she was right that he often thought of her and Arwen as little girls giggling and twirling their dresses. He knew both were capable women, but his paternal instincts always kicked in wanting to protect.

That was part of the reason he resisted letting her learn the craft that had been her mothers. He remembered getting a report after she had been in training for only twenty years that she had already rose to a level that took most adults a thousand.

She was a natural, and with that came quick advancement. He knew that also caused her skills to be wilder as she strayed from the taught paths finding new ones. Sometimes her experiments were deadly, but mostly they resulted in things that drew scholars. They would write about how she accomplished the tasks then altered them for how a more normal one of her kind could use it.

Elrond reestablished a full connection with her. He then folded his hands issuing a phrase that meant they would meet again. "Tenna' ento lye omenta."

She repeated it back to him knowing both of them preferred that phrasing instead of a formal farewell that felt final. "Tenna' ento lye omenta."

Thranduil quickly changed into one of his many combat uniforms. He had decided on one that was less ostentatious. In reality, it was the only one that was designed more toward function instead of pomp. He tugged on a dark brown vest that had protective spells on it then boots that were spelled to lessen the sound and trace of his passing. He didn't think he needed the later, but considering what kind of Elf he was dealing with the Elvenking decided it was practical.

He had just finished braiding his long lustrous hair back when Tauriel strode down stairs into his chamber. His hands paused a moment as he only just now realized that he had tied his hair back in the fashion he did when he had dealt one on one with the fire serpents. It was too late to shake it out because she was watching him.

"My King, you sent for me." Tauriel tried to keep her expression stoic even as she took note of his hair. Her mind instantly brought up the fact that Legolas had told her that his father had stopped restraining his hair back the day after the dragons of the North had been defeated. She stood even straighter if that was possible and waited to hear the news that dragons were about to descend upon their realm.

"You will pull back the guard. Open up the reserve chambers farther below that are in place in case of invasion. There are plenty of rations. Keep everyone inside the mountain and have them put the added protective runes in place on all points of entry." He paused and looked over to her. "All points of entry."

"Yes, my King." Her cheeks slightly pinked as she knew he was talking about the Dwarven Barrel Incident as it had been termed by many of the guard.

He opened a chest and pulled out a sword he had not worn in ages…literally. He strapped it on and rested his hand on the black enchanted handle that only he could touch without paralysis. The metal was warm with magic, and he turned for the steps remembering the Elfmaiden who had spelled it. Unknowing he touched the left side of his face.

Tauriel followed seeing that everyone they passed stepped back in shock at the sight of him wearing dark drab attire and a black sword.

She thought it probably stunned them even more once they noticed that he did not have even the simplest battle crown on his head or the broach on his chest that the late Elvenqueen gave him. It was beyond unusual he was dressed this way in public. He didn't wear anything that shined save the one elaborate gold ring that he wore on his right hand's ring finder. No silver cape, flowing robe or even shimmering metallic armor. His hair was pulled back and his clothing appeared old and well worn. It was a scandal that would be talked of for ages.

She guessed the passersbys would have had similar reactions if another Elf strode by completely naked with his hair shaved off while singing like a Dwarf.

Tauriel tried not to think of Kili and signaled to her second in command to catch up to her. When he did, she quickly relayed the Elvenking's wishes. She watched him nod then forgot about him trusting that he would issue the orders as he was trained.

When they were at the exit to the mountain, Tauriel risked one question. "My King, what army or evil is coming for us?"

When he didn't respond, she risked her life yet again. "Dragons?"

"No. Something or I should actually say someone much worse." Thranduil stared out and tossed his long thick braid over his shoulder. To him, one of the Sect was much worse because they brought on the memories of the dragons and his failure.

Tauriel swallowed knowing of nothing and no one, not even Sauron himself, that Thranduil considered worse than a dragon. She thought over his words. He did not say worse. He had said much worse. She further thought of how her scouts said that some of the spiders were shifting moving Southeast instead of Northwest. That meant the spiders were moving from Rivendell toward Mordor for protection from something that was headed their way. She tried to think of a common enemy that they shared with the spiders and came up empty. _Who is an enemy to the peoples of Middle Earth and Sauron and also much worse than dragons?_

Thranduil told himself that he had to go out and meet the one Elrond sent, and he hated that he felt a stirring in his heart. Grief. Loss. Failure.

Thranduil shifted his stance gripping his sword pommel again allowing himself a moment in his memories thinking of one particular member of the Sect. Everyone knew the Sect hid their identities; all research of their findings and experimenting were written simply saying Sect Member instead of using names. Thranduil had come to think of her as she who spelled his sword and gave her life for his people. Now, he thought of her courage that resulted in her death because he failed to rescue her.

Even now he still marveled at her abilities that put all others of the Sect to shame and how she threw off her cloak revealing herself even as the battle raged around her. It was in order to soak in as much power as she could – taking in the rays of starlight that illuminated her hair giving her power.

In that moment, Thranduil knew she was forfeiting her life by taking the power she needed; she had to know it would draw the enemy's attention. He fought with all his strength and ability to shield her. Hundreds of his men and women had died, but it had not been enough to protect her while she conjured.

Now standing at his gate, he glanced down at the intricate golden ring on his finger remembering that her hair held the exact same metallic gold hue. The ring he wore had been on a chain around her neck. Later, Elrond told him it was her father's, and he had given the ring to Elrond to return it because even in death the Sect member's name and family could not be revealed…not even to a king. Elrond assured him that he would personally hand the ring to her father. Lenenar, the dead Sect member's father, rejected the ring and wrote a letter in response to the Elvenking. The letter conveyed that is was only half his and that when he gave it to his daughter she had enchanted it with her own ring to form one that would protect against poison and alleviate physical pain from injuries.

Thranduil knew that her father had been told about the state that he ended up being in because he protected her. He held himself upright and tried not to show his torment when in public, and he used his glamour to hide the wounds that were still healing at the time. The elder Elf's letter only bid him vow that he would wear it and protect his people so that her death would not be in vain.

Thranduil had vowed and worn it from that day to this and never once in did it leave his hand.

Thranduil's thoughts returned to the present. He let go of the sword and ran his fingers over the ring that had fuelled his isolationist obsession, which was an attempt to keep his vow.

"Keep all inside the mountain. We are going to deal with the spiders then I will return and things will go back as they were. Hopefully."

Tauriel whispered. "The one they run from…the one who is worse than dragons is going to assist with ridding the realm of the spiders." She made it a statement and contemplated then that she had been wrong to think they were under siege by an enemy. She then tried to think of a non-enemy who he wouldn't even want his guard coming into contact with that was also an enemy of Mordor, but more feared than dragons.

Tauriel's mind iced over realizing who terrorizes even Kings in their sleep and who could take care of the thousands of spiders who were overrunning their lands. She whispered only barely enough so that he could hear her and all the while she feared the one of whom she spoke might have a way to hear her. "He is sending one of them?"

Tauriel knew them to be the thing of nightmares and were only dispatched when all hope of survival was lost because they sometimes became unstable. In ancient times she knew they had accidently swallowed up entire armies and realms into deep canyons killing hundreds of thousands by accident. It was even recorded one had lost focus trying to stop a volcano and petrified the village they were sent to protect. A group working together became distracted and all those around them twisted together like vines wrapping around trees and they fused together in nightmarish blood squirting gardens of horror. As far as anyone knew, there were only a dozen or so alive today and even Sauron when he was in full power would not risk a confrontation with a group of them. It was rumored that Galadriel was one, but Tauriel did not believe that because it was said they remained cloaked to hide their scared and mutated bodies that were the result of practice gone wrong.

Tauriel clenched her hands hoping she was wrong. In doing so, she noticed her hands had broken out into a sweat. She rubbed them together remembering the story about the last time their services were used in open combat. Thranduil had been there. He fought alongside one that soaked up starlight to infuse the spirits of the fallen Elves into the bodies of dead dragons.

The possessed dragon bodies then turned on the living dragons killing them all even as the one who did the spell died. As the one died, the souls were released from the dragon's bodies so that they could be free. Even to this day, there was talk about what would have happened if the one had died before releasing them. It was speculated that the vengeful souls could have turned on everyone without the one to control them and could have destroyed all life in Middle Earth even down to the last blade of grass. Yes, she reminded herself there was a reason why even the Dark Lord did not allow them anywhere near him. _Surely, Thranduil would not allow one of their kind here._

"He has already sent one. The most powerful one." Thranduil pushed back his emotions and tried to clear his mind. "I go to meet a Necromage Elfmaiden…a Sect Member."

Thranduil stepped toward the gate and did not hear Tauriel moving with him as she always did. He paused to peer over his shoulder.

Tauriel was staring at him. She wasn't breathing, blinking, and all color visibly drained from her face.

Thranduil believed it was because he spoke her deepest fear out loud. He nodded to her. "If I do not return, relay to Legolas he is the new Elvenking. Crowns are in my chambers."

**A/N:** "Tenna' ento lye omenta." = "Until next we meet." … I want to throw an Elfmaiden of power at Thrandy and see how he reacts to her. I created a back story for how her family knows the Elvenking. I think it works. She is the Elfmaiden that was close to Arwen when she almost left for the Undying Lands in the LOTR movie. I only slept 4 hours last night then jumped up and started writing this. I'm not going to be able to function today, but I just had to get this down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 2: Meeting **

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **at some point…Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, AU

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden from Rivendell (I'm giving her a name.)

**Summary:** Ship AU: Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I'm playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. Thranduil needs an Elven love interest. And if I am going to go over the top, let's just go way over the top. I've been watching American Horror Story and Hobbit. I want to have some fun with this. I think I know where Legolas gets his habit of counting all the bad guys he kills. Fire pits anyone? **Update:** I have done some editing to alter a few minor things and to have it end on a more romantic note.

Thranduil made his way northwest killing any giant spiders he encountered along the way. He decided by number fifty that it was a great way to let out his frustration. He would never admit to anyone that it actually felt good to be out slaying in the wild like a guard.

Usually, he was calculating and plotting every moment of his interactions with others to get what he wanted or needed. But now he felt free jumping from tree to tree slashing limbs from spiders the size of horses that were trying with every skill they possessed to kill him. He didn't have to worry about the fate of his people, but only had to give into his bodies deft motions as he elegantly killed retched violent foes.

He did notice at first that some of the filthy spiders were different. He found there were a couple that had light brown markings on them, and it was as if their bodies held some type of shield. He was pleased with his sword choice for his own personal mission because his enchanted sword used magic to wear them down and eventually cut true.

Thranduil happened along a group of three regular ones next and quickly added them to his tally. He swung his sword slicing one body in half and just let his battle honed skills take over. He pivoted and stabbed up and pulled away with a flourish slicing another one open. His only regret was that he didn't have a cloak or cape on that would have added to his sweeping motion. He told himself that out in the wild one had to compromise.

He wiped putrid blood off of his sword then thought to himself as he rid the world of the third in the group…_It is turning out to be a good morning after all. _

Hours later he cleaned himself off in a natural spring and ate some Elven bread that he had slid into his vest pocket. He found that he was following the Old Forest Road. He decided to go with it.

Thranduil stretched then continued down that road. He hunted the spiders as he traveled with a wicked grin on his face. As he slaughtered, he wondered if he could manage to join the guard from time to time on their missions. He decided that he might be able to go disguised as one of them and knew he was deceiving himself.

_Damn them for getting all the good stuff. I have to deal with whiners. Please do not kill me. I will tell you what you want to know. Yes of course they will if they actually speak it or not. I have to keep looking into their simpleton minds. Some are so convoluted I need to take a dip in my room's pond after to relax. Or they are on their knees or put up no fight…no fight whatsoever. Or escape without having the decency of trying to kill me on their way out. Damn Dwarves._

He raised an eyebrow when the next two practically rammed themselves into his sword. He guessed even spiders have a few imbeciles in their groups. He decided to see how long he could go without getting their rot smelling blood on him, and he liked that game even better.

Thranduil had killed nearly fifty more without one drop on him when he stood inside a line of trees on the boarder of his realm. He felt glamour and pushed at it to see what was really there.

His breath caught in his throat at the site. Massive fire pits ran along the Great River on the opposite side. It appeared as if an entire army had been camping on the other side and then were piled up and burned in large holes in the ground. Instead of Orc or Elven bodies, there were mangled burning giant spider carcasses.

Thranduil looked north and saw that the pits were barely smoking. Farther off they were covered up and smoothed over. Then he glanced south seeing that there were some off in the distance that were fresher and still flamed.

After climbing up into the canopy again, Thranduil moved from tree to tree working his way south to where Legolas typically traveled when he ventured to Rivendell. He guessed he would find a dozen Necromage Elves there. "One? He said one. One dozen maybe?" He shut his mouth when he noticed no one was there to reply. He supposed there had to be some down sides to being away from his mountain without his army. He added no wine carriers to that list.

About thirty minutes later, he was hanging half way up in the canopy blended in with his surroundings when he saw a cloaked figure sitting out in the open on a log by the water. He guessed he had just found the one that was being used as a decoy so the others could kill the spiders as they attacked. The cloaked figure was a few miles away, and he tried in vain to spot or sense the others.

Thranduil remained quiet hoping that if he didn't speak then the Mages would not know he was there. He wanted to see how they operated, so he positioned himself almost directly across from the last fire pit. There was a breeze flowing from the cloaked figure toward the pits, and he used some of his own abilities to detect the wind was responsible for holding the glamour in place to hide the pits and smoke.

A couple minutes passed then he saw a few thin strands shoot from the other side of the river to his. He guessed they were wide enough apart for a spider to cross and most beings did not stare straight up when at a river crossing. He knew they usually watched at the base of the tree line for animals or enemies on foot.

He relaxed against the tree he was in and watched the spider inch forward then slide out contemplating the kill. Thranduil glanced down and felt confusion at not seeing a circle drawn around the Elf sitting on the drift wood. He clenched his teeth thinking maybe they switched out who was the decoy and the new one had forgotten to ensure a circle of protection.

Thranduil straightened thinking to give the order for his archers to take out the spider. In that same second, he cursed himself in his thoughts because they were not with him and he had not thought to bring a bow. He knew Legolas always hinted about the virtues of the all wonderful bow to him, which he always ignored. _He could have said a bow is a perfect answer to the problem of being out on your own and saying see that thing over there? I want to kill it, but from right here. _

Thranduil knew he could not make it in time to intervene and yelling out would only distract the Necromage from the real threat. He told himself it was not his place to intercede. It usually meant one's own death.

He mentally cursed himself again, but this time for some reason it was in Dwarven tongue. He felt stupid, so he guessed it resulted in him cursing stupid. How was he going to explain this to Elrond if the other Necromages did not succeed?

He heard a faint female voice speak. "Come on. You're big. You're bad. I'm small."

The sound of her voice seemed to set the spider off. It lunged down at her with its fangs out.

Thranduil tensed thinking yes that she was small till he saw one of her long loose sleeves twitch in his general direction.

The spider body that was only a few feet from impacting her flew down toward him. It only took it a few seconds to fly the three miles to land in pieces in the last pit that was on fire. It was as if she sent it into the wind to be carried directly to the pit.

Her voice floated a little louder as her hood turned toward the pit. "Carrma's a bitch and then you fry."

Thranduil thought that phrase sounded close to what he had heard a human say once and tipped his head to the side thinking that she got a couple words wrong. He didn't know where the dog was she was speaking of so he let it go.

Thranduil realized Elrond was true to his word when he said he only sent one Necromage. He wondered if she was his best or his craziest when he noticed that the wind was not wind at all.

Every few seconds he caught a wisp of white and decided it was really a network of spirits happily ripping the spiders apart and burning them to their delight – and there she sat without the protection of a casting circle.

In that moment of realization, Thranduil knew his own peril. If she did not control them from within a safe haven, they could retaliate or disobey her and direct their bloodthirsty attentions on him.

Thranduil cursed out loud in a whisper using New Entish realizing it took only a third of the time as the old and guess he was probably doing it because he was clinging to a tree. A wisp of white darted in his direction then flashed away. He turned his attention to the cloaked form and saw a flicker of white.

The Necromage stood up and turned in his direction.

Thranduil let go of the branch and flipped gracefully kicking off another to land in a semi crouched position in the grass on his side of the river. He straightened tugging down on his vest and strode along the edge of the river as if he were walking down a corridor in his mountain.

When he was across from her, he inclined his head and gestured to his side.

She tipped her head back toward the trees behind her, and her black sleeve twitched as if her hand motioned toward the pit again. A screeching giant spider with light brown markings was added to the pit.

Thranduil noticed that it was not broken in pieces or ripped up like the others.

"Wait for it." The smooth female voice promised.

Thranduil kept his attention between her and the thrashing spider. It took a few more moments then the spider exploded in a sizzling ruin.

Thranduil schooled his face as he remembered that was what his own body sounded like when the dragon fire reached him and his skin burst off in a splat of melting tissue. His muscles tensed as if once again he was holding himself in place to protect the Necromage Elfmaiden who had fallen. With nothing left at his disposal, he had used his own body as a shield to protect her smaller frame.

Now unbidden, his left hand reached up and almost made it to his face, but he caught himself and moved it to his side as if he had always meant to gesture her over.

She swung her hands out to the side. From the draping of the fabric he guessed her palms were facing down. A gray swirl that turned black moved out of her sleeves and buffeted the ground. She floated across the rocks and water as if moving on black fog. That he remembered too.

She landed softly as if sinking down into cotton as the dark fog dissipated.

Thranduil tipped his head toward the spirit wind. "Do you not need a circle?" Even to him his voice sounded condescending and haughty.

"I do not, but you may. Allow me." She drew her cloak back and reached inside.

She threw her hand forward, and he caught a glimpse of a delicate cream colored hand releasing five dark stones. They levitated then lowered as they formed a wide circle around them. More of the dark fog seemed to connect the stones when they landed in the damp grass. They disappeared under glamour and became invisible till he pushed at it with is mind. This was something he had never heard of before, and he had spies that reported to him on a regular basis about Elrond.

She spoke again. "They like me. You I am not so sure of."

Thranduil squinted at her use of the word like. Spirits were not to be trusted on the basis of one's belief they were fond of you. "They could have torn you apart before you could have formed the circle. You needlessly jeopardize your life. And mine."

She folded her arms. "No I did not, but you need to lower your voice."

"You are in my realm and will not presume to order me about like a servant even if I am dressed as such." Thranduil leaned forward wanting to pull her cloak from off of her face, but instead he pushed at her mind. "What shall I call you?" He pushed a little more thinking to find the truth while she thought of a lie.

What he found instead was a mental shove that was the equivalent of being smacked in the face with an open palm.

Thranduil's head jerked from the mental impact. He was too stunned to be angry; he simply blinked at her unknowing of how she could have possibly felt his attempt at intrusion. No one had before. And by no one, that meant that for thousands of years not a single being had known he poached their mind unless he wanted them to know right before he killed them.

She gasped and stepped back. "I apologize for my action. You pushed at my mental shield in the more personal area of my mind." She took a slow deep breath, "It startled me. I have never had a man attempt to…let alone it be you…" Thranduil watched her press an arm to her middle before she continued. "But truly you need to lower the volume of your voice because it could bring…"

They turned their heads at the same time peering to the south at hundreds of giant spiders that emerged from the trees and hung from them.

Unthinking, Thranduil grabbed her one handed and pulled her behind him as he drew his sword. He evened out his breathing as he took note that all of them had the light brown markings letting him know they were the much more resilient ones. One hundred. Two hundred. Three.

She finally found her voice as she blinked at his back and finished her sentence. "…bring the spider nests together to fight as one."

She moved to go around him, and he countered. The circle moved with them keeping them both perfectly in the center.

Thranduil spared a flick of his eyes down noticing the circle could move. "Stay behind me. If any come around behind me can you fling them into the spirit wind to the burning pits?"

He felt a push of magic flow through him like rippling waves of water. His eyes flinched as he saw a white flash roll out over everything his Elven eyes could see in the direction the spiders were coming. It was like the white peaks of waves moved out over everything in a shimmer.

Thranduil turned to her and saw white lights misting out from her sleeves; she stepped in front of him.

Her voice changed as she spoke from that of a young woman to an echo of power. "With respect to your station, one sword may not work against so many if they attack from all sides in a single rush. You need to remain behind me and in the circle for your own protection Elvenking. I am no damsel in distress in need of protecting."

Thranduil heard her words, but she was a head shorter than him; he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to keep her safe – there was something familiar about her. He believed that it was just the fact of her being a member of the Sect.

She angled her hands out to the sides then brought them together.

Thranduil wondered if she was testing the area for all of the spiders, and his heart beat faster fearing that she might not be up to the task.

As they drew near, the urge to shield her with his body screamed in his mind. Memories of dragons and war flashed before his eyes as if it were real again, but he blinked it back.

He knew he couldn't let this happen again. He couldn't let another of her kind die as they came to help him and his people. He knew he would have to spend time simply fending them off because he could not deal a death blow due to their protective hide. The darkness in the back of his mind whispered about failure. "Are you up to the task or do I need to start attacking them? They are almost upon us."

More emerged from the trees joining a black mountain of spiders that were even now forming bridges over them and sliding out dangling poised for attack. There were so many that Thranduil found himself standing in shade.

When she didn't answer, he tried again truly believing what she said earlier about one sword against so many being ineffective. "Do you have any idea what you are going to do Necromage?"

"Stop distracting me with your praise and confidence in my skills." Her voice reverberated with power he felt coming off her even stronger now. It was a familiar sensation, and he actually glanced behind him expecting there to be possessed dragons.

Thranduil knew the power that she was conquering, but he still felt the shock of what he was seeing. The burned spider bodies were being snapped back together and the wisps of white were darting into them.

His choked voice came out. "What? What are you doing?"

"Be quiet. I know what I am doing." Each word was spoken slowly then her voice filled the air with chanting that sounded harsh to his ears. The wind that once blew north was now moving south toward the hoard.

Thranduil watched as her outstretched hands moved out sweeping like she intended to hug them. It was then that he noticed that the waves of white turned gray then into her black fog.

He made out some of the words she chanted as the advancing spiders stopped and became dazzled by the fog that floated around them. She was calling to Will O' the Wisps to feast.

Thranduil peered over his shoulder to see burning spiders advancing three times the speed the others before them had. The crunching of what sounded like cartilage mixing with sparks of fire kept his attention momentarily.

Thranduil held his sword out not knowing if it would help them. He could only hope that her stone circle could protect them from both kinds of bloodthirsty spiders. He dared not speak thinking it could cause her to lose her concentration bringing their death even closer.

She tossed out several stones to her sides then launched three above them. An angled wall appeared like a ramp and a canopy over them formed before they disappeared by use of glamour.

Thranduil flexed his arms as the Wisp possessed spiders ran full out now at them ratcheting up their speed. He stayed directly behind her back so if they breached her circle he would take the brunt of the impact first. He prepared for an impact that never came.

The possessed spiders that flickered partially on fire barreled up the invisible wall and launched themselves out at the other dazed spiders. Blood and gore poured down, but never reached them inside the circle. The smell of charred carcasses buffeted Thranduil's sensitive nose, and his eyes threatened to water from all the smoke.

It took quite some time before the area became quiet, and Thranduil was once again standing in the sun.

He turned to congratulate her on an unbelievable victory as the possessed spiders dropped lifeless to the ground. He moved around her and noticed she wasn't moving or even breathing from what he could tell.

"Necromage?" Still nothing. He glanced around and saw the wisps of light like wind moving all the hundreds of bodies toward the pits. Coming from their direction, he thought he heard a child like giggling. It unnerved him even more. "Necromage."

He reached out a hand and lightly pressed on her shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

A flicker of light penetrated the circle, and he watched as it flickered under her hood then away again.

She gasped in as if she were drowning then stumbled.

He caught her as she grasped flailing backwards. Her hood fell back to reveal metallic golden hair and black blank eyes. He lowered her to the grass even as she jerked her cloak back into place.

When she spoke, her voice was normal again. "I will be able to see again in a few minutes. When I leave my body for so long, it always takes a while to come back. I think I rode with the wisp longer than I should have."

Thranduil struggled to believe her. "You left your body?"

"Yes, and that is why I know they will not harm me. They think I am one of them trapped in this body. I cannot persuade them otherwise."

Thranduil was still recovering from the sight of her hair, so he didn't really pay much conscious attention to what she answered even though he filed it away for later. "Metallic golden hair. This power. I was there when you died. No, you cannot be her."

"No, I am not."

"Then do all of you have these features and powers?"

She did not offer a response.

"What you just did was very similar to what she did. The one who fought with me against…" Thranduil was still reeling. "Do all of you have this capability?"

"You have the other members of the Sect watched when they practice, so you know the answer is no." She supplied.

"The others. You do not practice with them?" He was getting tired of talking to her hood and wanted to see her face again for he had only caught a glimpse.

"Obviously, no."

"Why?" He inquired starting to come back to his senses because of her lack of reverence toward him and the fact that it was odd that she was answering his questions.

"No one watches me practice and no one would dare come anywhere near me when I do." She supplied as her shaky arms braced her so she could sit.

Thranduil watched her move as if she was in pain, and he wondered what it took out of her to have such ability. "Because you would turn the wisps loose on them?"

Her voice bit out then softened. "I would never. Everyone stays away because sometimes I accidentally kill things. I am a natural. Most of my skills are in experimenting with the forces around me and seeing what works. I have been formally taught, but it's so restrictive that it's almost painful."

"And right now are you in pain?" Thranduil could not help ask.

"Yes."

"Why are you being so honest with me? Are there not rules you are governed by?"

"The rules do not apply to naturals. Nothing does."

"Are you avoiding the other question?"

"Yes."

He remained silent and scrutinized the area seeing that most of the bodies were already moved and the blood was even disappearing. He wondered if they were somehow eating gory ruin.

She huffed out air. "Alright. I do not want you trying to press on my mind again. I thought the best way was to just answer you. Just do not mess with my mind."

"Did I hurt you before when I entered your mind?" He started rubbing the gold ring on his finger.

She moved a hand across her stomach. "No. It kind of scared me."

"After all this and how you saved our lives? Thank you by the way. And my pushing at your mind is the thing that scared you?" He just could not believe that.

"Yes."

Thranduil stood up and held out his hand, which she ignored and struggled up on her own.

She lifted her arms to the side and all the stones came back to her but the five on the ground forming a circle.

She walked toward the tree line, and he moved beside her seeing that where the circle moved the blood and tissue vanished.

"I need to lie down for a while. The wisps will take care of any spiders because it's getting dark. They hunt when it's dark." She chanted a soft song and walked forward. She extended her hands and branches moved.

"Dark?" Thranduil peered up noticing that it was getting darker.

"Time moves differently in the circle once I put the wall up. It is one of the reasons why I do not usually use it." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Thranduil kept pace with her even as the branches formed a platform that she stepped onto. He tried to remain composed as it lifted. Walls and a ceiling appeared above them. Thorn bushes moved to the base of the tree they were in and wrapped half way up before going invisible. He knew from the outside, the room was completely hidden. It was a fully formed room by way of braided branches, but the wall facing the river was missing.

The formation was similar to that of the Lady of Light's dwelling. Thranduil marveled at the creation and wondered if Lady Galadriel was once a Sect member or if she had asked Elrond to have the Sect form her elaborate forest home.

"When my cloak fell back, how did you see my hair?" She inquired as several vines came in from the side between branches and formed a hammock for her that her stiff body inched into.

He could not help but smile at her. "Because your cloak fell back." He wondered if she even knew what she was saying at this point.

"No, the glamour should make it appear to always be on even if I take it completely off and burn it. The only exception should be dragons. They can see through our glamour." She finally lay on the hammock, "I'm working on that though."

Thranduil sat leaning against one wall, and his skin cooled at the mention of the fire serpents. "So if one of your kind is wounded, the healers would not know exactly where the wounds were at because their view is blocked?"

"Yes."

Thranduil nodded remembered the Necromage who saved his people. He had set her down in front of healers only to have them glance around at each other. He yelled at them and pointed out every wound he could see. "They would pour water on the poultices thinking it would need to sink into the cloak to get to the wounds," Thranduil made it a statement.

"Yes. You did not give up. Thank you." The young Necromage rested gently swinging in her newly fashioned hammock as large branches moved in and dropped their wide leaves on her cloak till they left a pile. She ran her hand over them, and it became a blanket.

He guessed that she meant that he did not give up on her ability and had no idea she was thanking him for keeping her mother alive long enough for her to say goodbye.

His eyes roved over her creation. "What am I to call you?"

Her voice came out in a quiet bouncy sing song way, "You heard me say my name when you were in the trees. No games. Let there be no games between us." She smiled and rolled over on her side facing him. "Only dead spiders."

When she shifted her position, her hood fell back from her face letting him see her full lips and delicate jaw line. He could tell she was only slightly older than Tauriel, and at her own skill she was even more deadly. Even knowing that, he fully intended to have a talk with Elrond about his choice of Necromage in the morning. Surely there was another who could take her place who was less dainty. _Less alluring. _

Thranduil paused in his thoughts noticing for the first time that he had more than a passing interest in her. He leaned forward and was able to see the side of her face…the elegant curve of her ear.

He remembered her words about his lack of trust in her abilities and told himself that he would not have that talk with Elrond after all. No, she was no helpless damsel in distress. She could kill by the hundreds and had an army of spirits at her beck and call. She was dangerous. A power to match his own. Unpredictable. Exciting. And far little aroused his interests in the last few thousand years, but watching her now, he knew he was in for trouble.

Thranduil waited till he heard her breath even out before he spoke. "Carrma."

**A/N:** Carrma…karma…close enough. I used the C from the Elvish word for fang = Carca. Please review and tell me what works for you? It helps me write.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 3: Reveal**

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, AU (not all canon)

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden from Rivendell (I'm giving her a name.)

**Summary:** Ship AU: Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I'm playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. I did an edit of ch 2 to change a few things because I want Thranduil to find out about her in a different way. If you have not read the revision, you might want too because it ends in a more romantic way. *rubs hands together* I think we all need to focus on the Thrandy kiss.

Over the next two weeks, they worked together from morning till sunset ridding the land of the retched giant spiders. They became more relaxed with how the other operated, so they didn't have to communicate much to get the job done.

During week three, Thranduil woke just before dawn to the sound of Carrma screaming.

Thranduil's brilliant gray/blue eyes opened as he rose to his feet – black sword in hand ready to kill whatever was harming her.

His eyes darted around. No enemies. Nothing moved save her.

Thranduil quickly sheathed his sword and went to her side.

Carrma thrashed causing her hood to completely fall back from her face. Her eyes were closed, and her face was caught in a grimace of pain.

_A nightmare, _Thranduil thought. "Wake up."

No response.

He touched her shoulder as he had out on the field. "You need to wake up."

She jerked back from his touch. "No. It burns!"

Thranduil flinched and froze in mid breath. He remembered his own tormented sleep where flames reach out to melt his body. "Wake up!" He shook her feeling his own anxiety surfacing.

"What?" Carrma's unfocused eyes blinked up at him. She grabbed his arms as if she were drowning, and he was the only thing not submerged.

Eventually, her eyes focused then glanced around. "Where?"

"We are in the trees. You are safe." Thranduil sat on the edge of the hammock still feeling her bare fingers digging into his skin. She hadn't willingly touched him like this before and the sparse words that were spoken were more than they had in the last few days.

"The fire. I was her. It was coming for me." She let go of his arms and pulled the blanket up as tears fell from her eyes. "You weren't there. The world ended in flames."

Thranduil scrutinized her tears not understanding what she was talking about. He was use to barking orders and interrogation not calming one's fears. He thought of his own then spoke. "It was only your thoughts forming a dream."

Her eyes locked on his. "It felt real. I could feel the heat."

Thranduil rested his hand on the hammock on the other side of her to balance it out as he leaned closer. Her usual bravado was gone, and he did not know how to help her get it back. "It is over now."

Carrma watched the intensity of his blue eyes and remembered how he had tried to shield her when the large group of spiders attacked them the first day of their hunt. She guessed it was the cause of her dream. In the nightmare, she was her mother out in the field and the spiders spit fire at her, but Thranduil could not help as he already lay dead at her feet. She dreamed she lost control of her own spiders and both descended on her then destroyed the world forming a fiery desolation.

"Just a dream," She felt calmer as she said it out loud.

Carrma nodded and pushed the blanket back to welcome the cool morning air on her face and arms. She didn't bother trying to hide her face because he had already seen her, and due to her glamour if someone was watching, they could not see her face. She thought about asking him again how he managed to see through her glamour.

She moved to sit and the hammock shifted causing her to roll more toward him to the point that her hip rested against him. She could feel the heat of his much larger muscular body penetrating the fabric she wore.

When she was younger, she had fantasized about the Elvenking galloping to her rescue while he rode a massive animal. When she became an adult, her imagination changed to have her as the savior and him the one in need of her help. The situation she was currently in was closer to the latter fantasy.

The reality of her hip pressed against him was disconcerting to say the least – maddeningly sinful to say the worst. Part of her mind offered it wouldn't be that difficult for him to lean down and kiss her while the other part questioned why he hadn't stood up already.

Carrma folded her hands over her abdomen and tried not to think about his long braid that was now touching her arm. Instead, she thought about the fact that he was alive despite her horrific dream where he died and the world burned in flames.

Carrma felt the light graze of his mind then he pulled his mental search back.

"You are quiet." He tipped his head. "What are you thinking?"

Carrma knew it was a concession for him as he probably just pushed into people's minds at will and listened to whatever he wanted. The thought made her panic return. If he had pushed to the point of actually hearing her thoughts, he would have known she was thinking about his closeness.

She decided to go with her dream. "You burning to death."

He stood up causing the hammock to be unbalanced, and she almost fell to the floor. His voice came out none to gently. "Can you divine the future?"

She shook her head and sat up on the edge where he had been. "No, I can't see the future. It's just a dream."

Thranduil slowly paced. "Are you empathic?"

"No."

He thought about how ironic it was that she had the same hair color as the other Necromage, that she didn't want him in her mind, and that she now had a dream about him burning in fire. A young beautiful Elvenmaiden of power who still had an air of innocence. _How convenient._

He stopped pacing and turned to her. "Elrond sent you?"

"He did."

Thranduil saw the truth of it on her face. "Did you ask to be sent here?"

Carrma paused. "I…You needed assistance, and I was the best suited. I don't need additional help."

Thranduil squinted at her.

"Yes. I did." She added before he felt the need to push at her mind again. She thought the last thing she needed was for him to see her fantasies where they rolled around naked together with his shimmering hair wrapped around her flushed body.

"Did someone tell you to persuade Elrond to send you?" Thranduil stepped closer to her.

Carrma watched his form that was backlit by the morning sun. His hair glowed and his dark clothing seemed to give him a more sinister air than it usually did. "Not really."

"Elaborate." His hands were now clasped behind his back.

Carrma didn't know how she was going to explain that her grandfather had told her if she ever had a chance to speak with the Elvenking to take opportunity. He told her to see if he still wore the ring and to check if he was fully healed.

She stood and put her hands out to the side fully intending to explain.

Thranduil gripped her by her neck and slammed her into the wall knocking the air from her lungs.

Carrma gaped at him.

Thranduil clamped his hand over her mouth and pressed harder against her. "No. There will be no chanting up magic to help you. I have been watching you. Your magic works by chanting. There will be none of that now. Did someone tell you to get into Elrond's good graces so you could go on this mission so you could get close enough to me to kill me?"

Thranduil contemplated she could have easily killed him over the last three weeks and the fact that his spies had never seen her before. "Or were you sent here to seduce me with your power and beauty? Were you sent here to infiltrate my kingdom and gain my confidence maybe even to be the next Elvenqueen then to kill me? Are you after my throne?"

Carrma shook her head as best she could as newly formed bruises healed.

"Then why are you here?" Thranduil watched her eyes knowing that he could wait a moment then as she thought over everything he wanted to know he would look into her mind.

Carrma thought about the question. Why was she there? His sacrifice. She knew no one in their right mind would get near a Necromage of her mother's power when she was practicing in battle. He had. He went so far as to step in front of a wall of flame knowing it would melt his skin, muscles, and char his bones black while he was still alive to feel it all. His body struggled at regenerating itself as he held himself in place feeling every blast of fire from the demon serpent.

Thranduil pressed on her mind into her conscious thoughts and saw himself across a field with a dragon breathing fire in his direction. His shield melted, his armor failed him, and finally his body took the full force. The pendent he wore that had been his Elvenqueen's dug into flesh to press against bone.

Thranduil quickly pulled his mind back. He loosened his grip on her mouth and throat. He pitched forward so that his arms gripped the wall. It took several moments before his eyes were able to see her face in front of his.

"How?" He inquired as he pushed back his anxiety at seeing the memory in her mind. Here he was face to face with one if his greatest fears and in her mind was the memory of his second greatest fear. Fire. He raced over the fact that Necromages could transplant their memories into another, but he didn't remember another being that close. _Yes, later reports said at that point all Necromages were dead but her. The dragons had targeted them, and she had been the only one capable of that type of magic on that scale. I protected her with my life. This isn't possible unless…_

Carrma's voice came out scratchy. "I was there."

"You would have been a small child."

"I was."

Thranduil thought about her words. He searched his memory and did not remember any children there, but he knew he had been struggling with staying conscious.

"You kept her alive till she could finish and release the spirits from the dead dragon bodies. You carried her to the healers. Because of that, she had a second to see me and send me a message. My mother loved me." She hated that her voice came out sounding as small as a helpless child she once was.

Thranduil watched her wondering why he didn't put it together before. There appearance was very similar, and it made sense. "Then why are you here…other than the spiders? Who sent you other than Elrond? Who are you helping?"

Carrma felt angry at him that he went back into her mind, but at the same time she wanted him to wrap his arms around her. "My grandfather wanted to know if you wore the ring." She thought turn about was fair play, and she pushed at his glamour.

Her anger faded when she saw the ruin of the left side of his face. The rest of him was healed, but there was a shimmer to the wound that let her know the dragon had cast a spell in the fire that prevented this part from healing. _They can be sadistic creatures._

Carrma reached her hand up to let it hover an inch over the side of his face. "And this." She chanted out words to release magical bonds then spells of healing.

Thranduil jerked back. He cupped his face as zapping vibrations radiated over the damaged tissue that even the greatest healers in the land couldn't do anything with. After a couple of minutes, he could feel the muscle forming and skin growing back into place.

Thanduil's vision in that eye cleared to perfection.

He was whole.

Thranduil did not know what to say to her. She was the daughter of the Necromage that saved his people, and she herself had come to help with the Giant Spiders that kept killing his people and the animals of his kingdom and Elrond's. And now, he had insulted her, had accused her of some nefarious plot to seduce him then kill him to gain his throne, and had physically and mentally assaulted her.

"I would apologize my lady." Thranduil offered the best he could do.

"You would…if you were not the Elvenking." Carrma knew the words did not come out as kind as she had thought them, but her neck had just finished healing and her temper was up. She chided herself at remembering again what he had gone through for her mother's sake. All these years of her life, he had walked around with the physical pain and the mental ones. "That's enough. What's done is done. Lets move on." Carrma started to pull the hood over her face.

"As you wish."

Carrma let it fall back, and she watched him. Her childhood fantasies of him were shattered. In life and death situations in battle, he protected those he felt were inferior or weaker than him. That was honorable, but the romanticism was gone. He was a cold and calculating Elvenking who had ruled for thousands of years and would for thousands more. She guessed his paranoia and isolationist views served him and his people well. She had no doubt they would live on even if the world was destroyed around them.

Thranduil knew he had never apologized for anything in his entire life, and knew if he was going to do it now that he was not doing it half way.

Thranduil did a sweeping bow as he spoke. "I apologize for my actions and my words." He waited in the lowest part of the bow for a heartbeat, which he thought was a long time for him to hold himself in abeyance. "And thank you my Lady." His hand touched the side of his face as he straightened.

It took Carrma a few moments to understand what she just saw and heard. Thranduil Elvenking of Mirkwood had just apologized to her. She would not have been more shocked if warrior Orcs clothed in pink and white frilly dresses with umbrellas danced by singing about the virtues of cleanliness.

Carrma's lips moved a few times before sound came out. "Just stop pushing at my mind. I'm not use to attention from men let along you." She stepped away from the wall and couldn't stop herself from blathering on. "You usually act like I don't exist when you're around me. I prefer that to ummm." In her pause, she realized that was not true. She would prefer his attention – a great deal of it.

"We have met before?" Thranduil leaned forward studying her face. His eyes kept going to the metallic gold hue of her hair, which was unique and more hypnotizing to him then a room filled with white gems and silver glimmering with the light of a thousand stars.

"Yes. Every time you come to Rivendell. One time, I gave you my wine at the dinner table."

Thranduil searched his memory and came back blank. "I do not recall."

"I know. A little glamour to make my hair appear dull brown and for some reason that makes me invisible to men. I'm fine with that I guess." Carrma glanced away from him to the Wisps that were hovering outside the room. She couldn't believe she had just said that. She walked to the edge of the room peering out knowing her face was turning red.

The room broke apart going back to trees and the mock platform lowered them to the ground.

Thranduil stepped off onto ground and thought about her. Brown hair, in Elrond's house…memory flickered…a young girl giggling with Arwen. He now remembered who she was. She was Arwen's playmate that Elrond had adopted when her…mother…died. "I remember you." Regret tugged at him over the way he had treated her and what he said.

Carrma nodded and strode farther away from the river.

Thranduil pulled out lembas and passed some to her. He tried not to think about her having nightmares with him in it and that she knew he had still been damaged – that she saw the ruin of his face. "How did you know I was not fully healed?"

"When I mentally slapped you when you tried to get into my mind." Carrma extended her hands and used her magic to levitate over several boulders and uneven ground. "The Wisps saw it too. When you grabbed me, they wanted to come into the room and make the rest of you look the same way. I told them to stay out and that it was alright."

Thranduil easily leaped from one to the other and landed beside her. He absently thought from a distance, he might appear to be Legolas on one of his adventures. "You could not chant. How were you communicating with them?"

"You are forgetting the usual rules don't apply to me. Saying the words helps me focus, but I don't have to say them." Carrma glanced up ahead then back to him.

Thranduil watched as Wisps flickered forward and fanned out. "I see. When I grabbed you, they could have killed me at any time." Thranduil thought himself an idiot for grabbing a Necromage thinking himself safe because she could not chant. He clenched his teeth knowing that being near her distracted him from thinking rationally.

"Yes, but I don't rely on them." Her eyes bored into his.

Thranduil found himself flying backwards. He twisted to kick off a tree so that he didn't slam into it. He bounded up and leapt from tree to tree then landed ahead of her. "Spells, move things with your mind, draw spirits into bodies making them do your bidding, leave your body and travel with spirits, and the gray fog that turns black helps you levitate and confuse opponents. What else can you do?"

"Isn't that enough?" She picked some green plants that were nutritious and nibbled as she walked.

Thranduil moved beside her watching her face knowing she did not give a direct answer. It meant that she didn't want to say. The idea of not looking in her mind and her avoiding a question intrigued him.

Carrma was a puzzle he couldn't easily solve. He grinned knowing she was not the spy assassin he thought her to be. But she possessed every quality that the Valar could have promised to put him on his best behavior, and Sauron could have tempted him with to make him fall prey to his darker sides.

Carrma tried to focus on the Wisps and failed. Her mind wandered over what he accused her of being. He spoke of her beauty and power seducing him into taking her as his new Elvenqueen. The thought made her heart thunder.

Thranduil heard the pace of her heart quicken, and he wondered if the Wisps found something. "What is it?"

"What's what?"

He stopped knowing it was not the Wisps. "What you are thinking that has your heart beating that fast?"

"I was umm." Carrma knew she couldn't tell him, oh I like that you might like me. She unconsciously ran her hand over her neck where he grabbed her. Her face turned pink when she realized what she was doing, so she let her hand pull on the cord round her neck hoping it masked her actions. She knew she would sometimes twist it around her finger to calm herself.

Thranduil saw her touch her neck, and he remembered the way her body felt pressed against his. He contemplated the bulky cloak did nothing to hide the curves of her form. He took a few steps closer to her.

Carrma ignored the Wisps and tugged harder on the cord around her neck winding it more.

Thranduil stopped in mid stride when he saw the pendant that hung from the cord around her neck. It was the circular silver pendant his Elvenqueen gave to him when they were bonded. She had died during battle protecting their son, and he wore it in remembrance of her. He ended up giving it to Legolas when he became an adult. He returned from travels one time without it.

Thranduil remembered being furious until Legolas explained he had given his virtue to an Elvenmaiden who had also given hers to him.

Now in the forest with Carrma, his dark hungry glair turned to stoic ice. _Of all the women Legolas could have slept with…it had to be her._

Thranduil now had no intention of suggesting he was the cause of her fluttering heart. "There are more spiders?"

Carrma wondered if she had just dreamt up his reaction because of how blank his face appeared now. She had thought he was coming to kiss her. "Yes. Over there. Two of them. They heard us walking and turned this way."

Thranduil nodded and took off in that direction.

Carrma let out a deep breath when he disappeared across a field and over a hill. She pressed her hand down on her chest and felt metal. She toyed with the pendant wondering if he saw it. She tapped it remembering the girl who sported it around saying how an Elfprince had given it to her after staying an evening with her. The girl was known for telling visiting Elves that she was related to Elrond then would have sex with them.

Carrma didn't mind that in the least, but knew it to be the pendant that Thranduil wore in battle the day her mother died. Even now, she could see it embedded in his flesh. She had offered the girl a hefty sum for it and the girl passed it over like it was not important anymore. The girl was happy with her gold, and Carrma secretly wore it under her clothes every day from that to this.

A Wisp flickered in front of her letting her know that the spiders were dead.

"Yes, that's just great. Thanks. You're a lot of help."

The Wisp fluttered around in a circle trying to ascertain the source of her anxiety it could feel.

"It's alright." She knew that was a lie. "I just have something else to explain to him, and I have no idea how to explain it. Oh yes, your son slept with this girl and gave her your necklace. I bought it from her and wear it because I find you the most fascinating man in Middle Earth, and I fantasize about kissing you all the time. Yes, that doesn't sound obsessive at all."

The Wisp bounced up and down making a beep sound only she could hear.

Carrma held her breath and turned to see Thranduil standing on a branch high up in the trees watching and listening to her. "Well, at least that was easier than I thought."

Thranduil leaped out of the tree landing on the other side of a clearing. He stalked toward her speaking in his normal voice knowing her Elven ears could hear him. "When I saw the pendant, I thought it was you he gave it too. I thought the flush was for him."

"No." Carrma watched the way his body moved under the black material. She couldn't imagine being given free rein to touch him, to taste him, to beg him for more, and have his full attention as he gave it to wrap around him feeling his muscles flex and strain. He could be so controlled one moment then volatile the next.

"Good. That will make this much simpler."

"What?" Carrma tried to make sense of what he meant. The only thing she could come up with was that he wanted his pendant back and if it had been a gift from his son then Legolas could become upset. She nodded knowing that it was sold to her, so it wouldn't be an issue.

Carrma kept watching his body then noticed he knew she was, so she glanced down and reached back to undo the necklace.

"No."

Carrma took a step back remembering last time he barked the word as an order he had slammed her into the wall. She absently thought it was a shame that there were no walls around. She stepped back again and bumped into a tree. _That'll do._

Carrma swallowed feeling trapped as he closed the distance. She expected him to touch her roughly again, and her body sang with the anticipation especially because of the dark hooded glare he was giving her. His eyes spoke of his desire to claim her; she had never before witnessed a man looking at her even remotely like that. She knew she would never get this image out of her mind.

Instead of touching her, he stopped a foot away.

Carrma wanted to lean forward against him, but feared that was not what he wanted. She decided the man was more complicated than Elrond's gardens and the Lord had a butterfly herder to make sure they flapped their wings in the right directions depending on the time of day.

One of his hands leaned against the massive tree and the other lifted to her face. He gently touched the bottom of her chin and lifted her gaze to his as he leaned down then he let her chin go.

Carrma closed her eyes in anticipation of his lips touching hers, but they didn't. Her eyes opened to find his lips a couple of inches away from hers.

She peered into the depth of his dominant blue eyes then over the perfection of his face to pause on his lips again.

Still he did nothing, but watched her expressions.

"I don't understand." Carrma breathed in and out rather quickly and felt his breath mingling with her own. She wanted to reach out and put her hands on his chest to feel the hardness of his muscles under the soft fabric, but he wasn't touching her now. He was a king, so she thought if he wanted something like this from her then he would take things farther. After all, he wasn't known for holding back when he wanted something.

"That is what I am afraid of." Thranduil watched the confusion on her face then leaned his other hand on the other side of her. He knew she was valiant in battle, and she spoke of wanting to kiss him, but he now wondered based on what she said earlier if she had any experience with men. He went to kiss her, but she held perfectly still and closed her eyes as if waiting for impact. He thought about the way he treated her earlier and controlled himself.

"Afraid? You? There is only one thing that gives you pause and one of those things is not here. The Wisps would know. They hate them too." Carrma had no idea what she just said as she was lost in the blue pools of his eyes. Her hand reached up on its own and pressed against his vest.

She realized what she did but couldn't remove her hand because he gently pressed his to the back of hers. His lips slowly moved closer. She tipped her head down, but he angled his head more and leaned closer.

Her eyes fluttered as if afraid to close. She thought if she did then he might back away again, but staring into his eyes at this short a distance was far too intimidating. He was powerful, he was dangerous, and he was much too close; she loved it.

Her eyes closed on contact when his lips lightly pressed against hers. Her head spun with the knowledge that he was kissing her even if it was only a gentle press.

Thranduil almost trembled with controlling himself not to maul her. He wanted to taste her skin and grind his body against hers, but he wasn't sure how she would react to him if he did. After all, he now knew she could kill him with her mind it was the most intoxicating thought he had ever had.

The light press of lips was a torture he told himself he would have to endure until she showed him how much she was willing to ask for and get in return. He was the Elvenking after all and he never wanted a woman to feel as if she had to humor his attentions.

Usually, he peered into their minds and gleaned what he needed, but he knew he couldn't with her. He had relied on his ability for so long that he didn't trust his instincts with her now. He didn't want to make any mistakes with her like he did when he completely blundered about in the room she made. Things about her confused him, and he wanted her all the more for it.

As he pulled back, her mind offered that he was being delicate with her.

The kiss stirred up a memory from years ago when another Necromage took some interest in her. He was sweet and played musical instruments in soft tones to seduce her. Then after he would make love to her in his bedroom. He was always very proper and reverent. He was the ideal gentleman probably because he was afraid she would kill him otherwise. He bored her to death; she couldn't reach climax because of his overly delicate treatment of her.

Thranduil caught on that something was wrong and watched her.

Carrma remembered back then she was almost thankful to go back to being alone after that Elf. She much more preferred her fantasies about barbarian Dwarves or the Elvenking being so overcome with desire for her that they ignored decency and devoured her with their passion. She had always wondered what it would be like to desire a man beyond your ability to think only to see on his face that he felt the same. She needed that.

And now, here she was with the Elvenking of legend, and he was being calm and careful as if she would break. Tentative. She wanted to scream.

Carrma removed her hand from his chest. She fretted that he was doing this to placate her because of his earlier behavior.

Thranduil watched her face not sure if she wanted that kind of attention from him or not. Since he could not listen to her mind, he resorted to talking. "You seem distracted. What are you thinking about?"

She answered honestly forgetting to filter her words. "The Elf I slept with. He bored me to death."

_I kiss her and she thinks about another elf? A boring elf?_ Thranduil asked quickly. "And?"

"Umm and you don't have to do this if you don't want too." She tipped her head thinking that her fantasies about him devouring her were dwindling due to the reality of the kiss. She pushed back at the disappointing frustration that was turning to anger. "Barbarian Dwarves are fine enough with me. They'll do instead."

_Fucking Dwarves!_ He paused a moment not knowing if he was cursing them or needing to say it out loud to her as a question. "You have slept with Dwarves?"

"No."

"You think I do not want you or do you think Dwarves would be better at pleasuring a woman than I am?"

"Ummm yes." _I'm an idiot, _she thought to herself, _I look into his eyes and I am a mindless idiot._ It would have been bad enough to have picked one, but she announced both. "Just don't try to kill me again, and I will pretend this never happened. Let's go back to killing things."

Carrma didn't want to pretend. She didn't want pretend fantasies in her head, and she didn't want to pretend the kiss was non-existent. She kept her mouth shut and prayed she didn't make it worse. What she wanted was his greedy hands running over her naked skin. What she needed was the passion she saw earlier when he was angry. She thought about slapping him to elicit the response she wanted. She shook her head knowing that was a crazy thought. She tried to look anywhere but his eyes. Yes, his 'come worship my body' eyes were messing with her mind she determined.

All she needed was somewhere else to look. His chest. No, she remembered pressing her hand to his perfection. His shoulders. No, definitely no, she just wanted to bite them. His hair? Her mind went blank because she could almost feel herself undoing the braid to let it fan out over her exposed skin as he thrust over her. _Damn it!_

Carrma shifted her stance feeling uncomfortable. She held her breath and blew it out a few times.

"You want me." He proclaimed.

Carrma couldn't deny it. Even with the soft kiss and gentle touch, she still wanted him. "Yes."

"Then why do I make you think of boring elves and of how Dwarves must have greater skill than I?"

Carrma folded her arms around herself thankful that her hands were lost in her cloak because she didn't know what to do with them. They kept trying to reach out for him. "Because…because you kiss the way a father would kiss a child."

Thranduil Elvenking of Mirkwood's jaw dropped, and he openly gaped at her. That was something he had never been accused of in his entire life…out loud or in someone's thoughts. "I was trying to see if you wanted my attention, and I was not sure. I was trying to hold back and not hurt you like I did before."

"Maybe I liked what you did earlier." She knew that didn't sound right so she qualified, "…a little anyway."

She felt herself being lifted off the ground.

**A/N: **I'm shocked…changing a few sentences at the end of ch 2 turned into this. Dwarves? Heheheheeeee Alright, I better rate this as M. Feedback feeds the muse. I need to watch all the Hobbits again. I stayed up all night writing this. Literally, the sun is up. I need to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 4: Together**

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, AU (not all canon)

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden from Rivendell (I'm giving her a name.)

**Summary:** Ship AU: Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I'm playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. I'm just letting the characters do what they want. Thank you for the feedback! It helps me write.

Carrma's feet dangled as the Elvenking lifted her by the waist then pinned her to a tree using his hips. She knew he was strong from before, but he had moved her as if she weighted nothing. She grabbed his shoulders trying to steady herself, but his mouth found her neck. He laved and bit as if he were going to devour her. He was mesmerizing in his urgency.

His eyes intense – body straining. Carrma didn't even know where his vest went nor did she care. Her mind shouted yes he had held back before and now he was starting to let himself go. Losing control because of his need for her.

Carrma gasped for air as her heart thundered with the pulse of her need for him. A need for more. And he gave it. He ground his hardness against her with the promise of things to come. One wicked hand slid over the curve of her breast to toy with her hardened nipple and the other pinned her arm over her head. His hand slid over her undoing the clasps of her cloak to reveal her lavender dress underneath. His shirt dropped with the cloak.

He slowed, and his lips hovered over hers again. This time, she had no reservations concerning his attraction or abilities. Now, she saw that he was controlling himself as a storm raged behind his blue eyes waiting to break forth against her again. She felt it this time; a tremor in his body where he was actively restraining himself.

Thranduil's warm breath washed over her face and neck. "Now would be the time to tell me to cease."

Carrma felt alive. She felt needed. Desired. "Never."

One second she was pinned to the tree and the next she felt his arm snake around her waist pulling her upward. She wrapped her legs and arms round him as she lifted into the air. She let out a scream of half fear half excitement as he vaulted them to another tree. His arm reached up, and she caught a glimpse of him gripping a branch to drop them to another.

With Elven grace, he landed on a larger branch that was almost parallel to the ground. His voice came out deeper than usual as he lowered himself to straddle the limb, "Safer up here." He settled her down more firmly in his lap.

Thranduil's hand reached back grabbing her ankle to unlock her legs that gripped him, and he rested her foot on the branch behind him. His hand slid back up her leg dragging her dress up. He repeated the process of skimming his hand up her leg causing shivers that made her tremble in his arms. When he tugged her dress up to her waist and let go, it was only then that she noticed he was no longer wearing his pants. He was completely nude.

"You've done this before." The tree he settled them in had smooth bark.

His voice came out in an almost growl. "Have I?" A wicked smile played over his face as he gripped her ass sliding her warm wetness back and forth over his hard length.

Reality fractured. She forgot where she was. Her vision blurred. Her only existence was the warmth of his body she clung to and the heated slide of his shaft between her legs. Her body pulsed. Her back arched feeling his strong arms anchoring her to him. "Please."

Thranduil continued the tormenting slide, but did not enter. "I want you, but I want to hear you come for me first."

"I…" Her body yelled at her the need to feel his hardness sink inside. It was something new to her. The sensation consumed her causing her to dig her nails into his skin. "Please."

"Look at me." Thranduil commanded and stilled his movements for a few seconds as he savored feeling her grind against him. He reached back gripping his long braid sliding it through his hand till found the end. He held the tie to his mouth and jerked it letting his hair spill out free. Wind caught his hair whisking it around them. She shivered at the golden silk tracing over her arms and back.

"Look at me." He prompted again.

Carrma's eyes flickered landing on his as he started sliding against her again. He ran a hand up her back to her neck and pulled her closer tasting her lips. Their eyes remained locked as his tongue darted out savoring the flavor of her lower lip again. He brushed his mouth across hers with the same motion he rocked against her body.

Thranduil's voice was almost all air, "Sing for me." He pressed his lips against hers and demanded entry with his tongue. He consumed her mouth with all the fervor she wished he would reserve for other areas of her body.

She didn't know what he meant by singing, and her mind lost all thought moments later so it didn't matter. The slick sliding of his tongue and his hardness pushed her over the edge from need to fulfillment. She cried out into the kiss, and Thranduil breathed in her release into his lungs. Her entire body now pulsed in wave after wave of pleasure; one stronger than the last as long as he held her breath inside him. He kept a firm grip on her neck keeping their mouths together. Her body danced in the consuming sea of his ancient magic.

When he finally released the kiss, her sated body fell limp against his. She was speechless. She felt boneless. She lived inside bliss as her head rested on his shoulder. Her lips touched the warmth of his skin.

After a time, Carrma felt a light trembling of his muscles and lifted her head to peer at him. "What kind of magic was that? Oh and that was definitely not a fatherly kiss." Mirth filled her eyes.

Her demeanor changed when she saw through his eyes the true storm that would consume her if he faltered. All this time, he had been holding himself in check…for her. The knowledge struck her as the most enthralling thing in existence. She knew he was on the edge of his control, and it thrilled her body to life again.

Carrma extended her hand to the side. Gray fog moved outward turning black. Branches moved, vines reached. She created a large hammock that came up higher on the sides where one formed a canopy. "The Wisps are maintaining a ten mile radius around us, so we don't have to worry about spiders. Can you…"

She yelled out cutting off any words she was going to say as he dropped them off of the branch. He gripped the top of the canopy, and he elegantly twisted letting them land inside.

Carrma slapped a hand on his chest as she bounced on top of him. She wanted a warning the next time he vaulted or dropped them. "Stop doing that."

The heated storm in his eyes turned to a blank stare. He stopped inching his hands up her skin toward her breasts. He then removed his hands from her completely letting them drop to the side and closed his eyes.

When the crease between his eyes formed a vertical line, she finally spoke. "Are you hurt?" She glanced at his hair that was fanned out, his face, and chest then she twisted. _Yes, his legs are still attached. _

Thranduil's bright blue eyes opened, and she believed the answer was yes.

His words came out with no inflection. "Kindly remove yourself from my body."

"Why, are you hurt? Just tell me where." She leaned forward inspecting his neck.

She paused when he closed his eyes again, and his hands fisted.

"What's happening?" Carrma pressed her hand to his chest.

Carrma heard him grinding his teeth before he spoke. "You. You tell me to stop then you will not remove yourself and you keep grinding against me. You said stop."

"Stop? Oh, yes. Don't drop me out of a tree or lift me up into one without warning. I'm not use to that. Just give a girl a warning." She watched him blink slowly. "What? It's not that big of a deal. Ummmm but that is." She rocked her hips feeling him rigidly hard. Her needy voice dissipated his anger.

Several thoughts flashed in his mind in a mere moment. He had believed when she told him to stop that she was meaning their physical encounter. He didn't know why she told him to stop, but continued touching him. He breathed in her sent and chided himself for forming that conclusion. He traced his hands up her thighs knowing when it came to her that his judgment was off.

For hundreds of years, Thranduil had resisted female's attempts at seduction. He told himself it was because he was avoiding being manipulated. Now with her, he allowed himself the truth. It was because it had become meaningless. After thousands of years exploring the female form, there were only so many ways to give and take pleasure. The thrill of discovery was gone. Even achieving a climax in a passionate situation became mechanical to him. He felt his body experience release, but the pleasure didn't register. His mind offered that it was nothing more than muscle contractions brought on by stimulation. Pointless. Useless. Until Carrma.

_Why am I responding to her? Is it because I am starting to care for her?_ He stopped himself from thinking of answers and dared not question himself further.

Thranduil's eyes moved over her metallic gold hair that brushed against his chest as his hands moved up her thighs to waist. He stopped when he noticed the silver pendent on the cord.

Thranduil came out of his thoughts that had only lasted a few seconds. He saw her watching his face with a serious expression.

Carrma pulled at his arms, and he sat up cradling her. "You went somewhere for a moment there. What's wrong?" She touched the left side of his face feeling that yes he was fully healed on the outside.

Thranduil wrapped his arm around her and felt the pendent pressed between them.

Carrma stroked his long flowing hair wondering what torment was buffeting him on the inside.

After a time, he took a few deep breaths then sought her eyes out. He had no way of telling her everything that was going on inside him. Usually, he hid every personal thought and feeling as if his life depended on it and mostly it did. But here with her, he felt the need to connect with another. The only other person who had brought up the urge was his Elvenqueen so long ago.

"Can I trust you?" He inquired.

Carrma thought about him. He wasn't just the fascinating Elvenking anymore. He was not just the Mirkwood King of legends. He wasn't some childish fantasy. Arrogance. A painful past. Isolated from everyone. Emotionally shut off. Yes. But now, he was just a man. The man who tried to save her mother and now was protective with her.

Carrma leveled her eyes at his. "To the grave."

"Do not be afraid." Thranduil relaxed his mind. He thought about the loss of the majority of his family including his Elvenqueen to the dragons knowing Carrma could feel it right along with him. He conjured up memories of the wars he had fought in and his recovery afterwards. He let her see his fear of fire and of her mother. He let Carrma witness and feel his emotions when he ignored female attention then the way he felt when he ventured to meet her. He let every interaction he had with Carrma play out for her to experience from his stand point all the way to his decision at letting her see into his mind now and how he felt as she watched until both points in time converged. He released her mind.

Carrma gasped for air and pulled to break free of his arms even though it would cause her to fall out of the tree.

Thranduil kept a firm grip on her in his lap because he feared if he let go she would leave and never return.

"Why? No, I know why." Carrma took a few moments to process everything she saw. "You're one of us?"

"Not exactly. I am a sorcerer. It is the closest thing to what you are, but I have no control over spirits."

"That is how you see past our glamour and how you so easily enter other's minds."

Thranduil nodded.

Carrma thought about different feelings he had, and it hurt her to know how lonely he had been. It pained her to have experienced his losses and how time took away his joy of life. "If you wanted me to know who you are, you didn't have to do it like this. We could have spent time together." She knew she only saw parts of his mind and was thankful he did not show her everything. She didn't think she could have taken it and stayed sane.

"We do not have time."

"What do you mean?" Carrma wished he had waited till after they had experienced each other to have had this serious conversation. She shook her head thinking she was just being selfish.

"A war is coming again. Fifty to a hundred years from now the Dark Lord will gain enough power to overtake the world."

Carrma thought of all of the conversations Elrond had been secretly having with Galadriel and Gandalf. "That soon?"

Thranduil nodded. "Galadriel has seen a path. A large group of my army will work behind the scenes to ensure our victory, but they have to go unnoticed by the people of Middle Earth for it to work. I and my Elvenqueen will work with Galadriel and Celeborn to swallow up a great army of Mordor when the Dark Lord is defeated. It is the only way our army of the people of Middle Earth will live."

Carrma ignored his mention of him having another queen. Her mind quickly calculated how few there would be to fight against the Dark Lord and how those people would need convincing to fight. "Our chance of success is slim."

"As slim as a blade of grass in a field." Thranduil relaxed his grip on her. "For it to work, Elrond and I have to keep the number of our army almost exactly as it is now. I have to maintain numbers and keep myself alive at all costs."

Carrma twirled the cord around her neck over her finger. She guessed it was no wonder he completely flipped out when he thought she was an assassin spy. "How are you to open up the ground?"

"Galadriel and Celeborn can send my power there, but my Elvenqueen must provide the focus on that area of ground or I will swallow up our army in the process."

"Your queen." The pendent bumped her skin, and she let go of the cord. "And who did Galadriel say that is?" Carrma pressed her teeth together instantly hating the woman whoever she was.

"She said the woman was shrouded in a dark fog she could not penetrate."

Carrma leaned back – completely oblivious to the fact they were both naked. "Me?"

Thranduil prompted. "You kept both of us in the circle as we moved. Do you have the ability to encircle an entire army without them knowing?"

"Me. Me?"

"Can you do it yes or no? And that will be your answer."

Carrma pushed back her shock and thought of the stones she used earlier. She didn't even know if she could project a circle from a distance. She had never tried before. She guessed it was possible if she had enough enchanted stones and the army stood close to each other. "It might be possible."

Thranduil nodded slowly at her. "We could try it out on the spiders. We could put a protective circle around a herd of deer and send them off into the woods toward some spiders. As they move away from you, see how long the circle holds. You could fog the deer making them stand still, and I will try to open the ground to swallow up the spiders without killing the deer."

"But what if it doesn't work and the deer are killed? Wait. You had this all planned out before hand didn't you?"

"No." Thranduil answered honestly.

"You don't want me for your Elvenqueen. No one would." She huffed. "Most would rather lose an arm and both legs than to be close to me let alone bond themselves to one of my kind. Is this some game to you? Seduce the lonely Sect member and usurp her power? Is that it?"

"No."

Carrma moved off of him and sat pulling her legs up to her chest wondering if everything that happened from the moment she left Rivendell to this including his memories he shared was a manipulation. The fear spread and she wondered if it had been a plan farther back from the day her mother died. Elrond took her in and he had to have known something of the future when he let her come here. Her eyes glazed over as she wondered if her whole life was a lie.

She shook her head knowing that Elrond's love for her was real even if things had started out as a plan, but knew that if the opportunity was available to destroy armies of Mordor if she favored the king…he would see it as fate. She now wondered what part Thranduil played in it all and if he truly meant to make her his Elvenqueen just to save Middle Earth. "Am I to be some type of arrangement between you and Elrond?"

He didn't respond.

"Is that what this is? An audition to be the Elvenqueen because your spies were never able to watch me practice? Was this all some act? You only want me because I'm useful and have power you need, so you pretend to show interest in me?" Carrma's mind ran over several possibilities.

Thranduil became aware of the smell of smoke. "Are you burning this tree?"

Carrma blinked then waved a hand. "Sorry. I didn't notice. It's out. So is this some kind of game for you? Seduce the Sect member?"

"No. That is why I let you see into my mind. I let you see how I…feel about you. It has nothing to do with your usefulness."

"But you do not deny that my talents are useful to your cause?"

"They are, but that is not why I want you. You felt how I feel."

"I felt you were only letting me see certain things. You could have changed the memories and isolated them so I only saw what you wanted."

Thranduil didn't know if his next thought was the most brilliant idea, but went with it. "I know you have the ability to wipe my mind, but I hope you will not."

Carrma felt his mental shields relax to the point she could easily slip inside. "You're giving me access?"

He nodded.

Carrma carefully eased into his mind. She could see through his eyes watching her then she pressed farther. She experienced his communication with Elrond and tested the other memories seeing they were real then she pulled back when she saw what he was hiding. A place in his mind was sectioned off and held memories of his lost love. He saw his anger at the Dwarves because they would not give him the white gemmed necklace that was made for his Elvenqueen when she was alive and that she never got to see or wear it. She felt his determination to have it back, and his sorrow when he saw how he had been ignoring his son – a precious gift his wife had given to him. Carrma lived his remorse as Gandalf told him that his Elvenqueen would have rather had Thranduil spend that energy that he used toward the necklace on their son instead.

Carrma ran her hands over her legs knowing he was speaking the truth. "So that's why you told me and showed me all of this before…before anything serious…happened between us."

"I did not know if I could do it."

Carrma stopped moving and looked over his body. "That is obviously not a problem for you."

Thranduil grinned quit wickedly as he moved to lay next to her. "I meant opening my mind to you. For this to work, I have to let you into my mind yes, but I have to trust you with all of it. Galadriel said it is the only way I can do it without swallowing up our own armies. I did not know if I could trust you with that kind of free rein in so little a time."

"And you did trust me."

He repeated her words back to her from earlier. "To the grave."

Carrma placed her hand on his chest over his heart feeling the beat. She thought about how her mother had trusted him to keep her alive long enough even as a dragon descended upon her. "And, I you."

It finally sank in to both of them that he had just let her inside his mind, and she could have wiped out every memory leaving him not even knowing how to walk or eat…erasing him to the second he first existed.

Carrma watched him knowing if anyone had told her that he would trust her to this extent in such a short a period of time that she would have spouted out dozens of reasons why the statement was stupid. "You trust me. Why?"

Thranduil thought about how Gandalf had warned him before about things and how Thranduil spouted out something about storms are sometimes just storms. "I have learned to trust Lady Galadriel and to heed the warnings of wizards. And more recently, that there are some things more important than possessions and following tradition." Thranduil thought about how his desire for his heirloom white gems had caused hundreds of his soldiers to die and that his arrogance at keeping Tauriel from Legolas resulted in him losing his son for a time. And if Gandalf had not intervened then both would have been lost to him forever. "Not even a couple months past, Gandalf told me if I ignore my more tender feelings that it would mean the end of Middle Earth. So this is me, listening to counsel and following my heart even though everything within me calls it folly."

Carrma watched the play of emotions on his face. Worry, fear, and sadness. All of the things that no one would believe he felt. "Everything in me says this is dangerous. I don't even know how we will make this work. I can't sit in a throne room all day wearing girly clothes. I need to be out in the wild casting and crafting. I create things that have no predictability but I form it using intuition and hope it does not destroy or change a way I don't want it too. It's marvelous and terrifying at the same time…kind of like you." She watched amusement move across his face. "Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf usually guide people around so that it gives them the best odds, so you and I together as crazy as that sounds may be the thing that tips the scales in our favor."

Thranduil nodded.

"All of that aside, I have loved you most of my life."

Thranduil turned more toward her, "And I do not wish to be parted from you. If we go to our death, we go together." Thranduil took the ring off of his right ring finger and moved it to her left ring finger. He chanted a few words, and it reformed to fit.

Carrma removed the cord from around her neck and placed it over his head. She settled the pendent on his chest. "The giving and receiving of tokens. This doesn't feel real. It's too fast. We've only been out here a few weeks."

"You yourself pointed out you have known me most of your life. When we are done practicing on the spiders, we can make this official…my Elvenqueen." He watched her unwrap her legs to stretch out next to him. "The ring was your mothers and your grandfathers."

Carrma nodded. "And the pendent was given to you before by your last Elvenqueen. What was she like?"

Thranduil pulled her closer to him. "Listen to my thoughts."

"I can go into your mind and see memories, but I can't listen to thoughts as they happen."

"What happened to you are a natural and rules do not apply to you?" He smiled enjoying the feel of her against him – the feeling of belonging to someone again. "You are a Necromage, but I can try to teach you the way I do it. Maybe you can adapt it."

"Will you show me that trick from earlier? That sound breath thing you did?"

Thranduil traced his lips over hers. "No, but I have other magic to show you."

Her hand reached down gripping his hardness with a smile. "Yes, I already know. It grows."

Thranduil barked out in laughter. It shocked even his ears. It had literally been ages since he laughed for real.

Carrma shook her head.

Thranduil raised an eyebrow at her.

"None of this is real is it? Maybe I'm asleep in Rivendell. I'll wake up and you will be over for dinner acting arrogant and looking down your nose at everyone."

Thranduil shook his head at her description. "This is all real." He kissed her thoroughly as his hand traced over her skin, "I told Galadriel that she should form some other plan because there was no way I would take another queen. She said then the world would end. I told her to prepare for that fate then. That is how unlikely I thought this to be. To find someone I trust."

Thranduil paused and ceased to breathe or even blink. His eyes gazed out blindly, and he turned his head from side to side then settled on a direction.

Carrma recognized that from when Elrond and Galadriel did it. "Who were you talking too?"

"I send a short message to Galadriel."

"What did you say?"

"I found her." And with that, Thranduil returned his attention to the perfection of her body. He did not intend to be distracted his time.

**A/N: **OK, so that was the reason Celeborn, Galadriel and Thranduil were not in the battles in the LOTR movies. Heheheee Makes sense to me now. It was karma…I mean Carrma. What do you think? Romance or an interruption of Wargs? Update: I just did an edit of chapters 1-4 and will move on to ch 5.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 5: Need**

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **Language, Sexual Situations – ahem yes seriously this chapter, Violence, AU (not all canon)

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden from Rivendell (I'm giving her a name.)

**Summary:** Ship AU: Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I'm playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. I'm just letting the characters do what they want. Thank you for the feedback! It helps me write. I just did an edit of chapters 1-5.

Thranduil pulled Carrma against him wrapping his strong arms around her. His hands anchored on the softness of her metallic gold hair as he breathed in the wonder of her. Giving in to his feelings for her thrilled and pained him. He had never hoped he would find a woman to be truly precious to him again, but she was. He never wanted to love again knowing that life is fickle and she could meet her death leaving him alone…again.

Thranduil remembered Tauriel holding onto Kili's lifeless body and the anguish in her voice. He believed it was only by the luck of Eru Ilúvatar that Lady Galadriel was able to teleport herself there to save Kili, Thorin, and most importantly his elk. He knew that would not always be the case and at some point during a war those you care for will fall into shadow.

Thranduil held on tighter feeling tears sting his eyes even as love flooded into even the darkest recesses of his heart. "I love you. Not the Necromage of power or the exquisite body you possess, but you. I love you."

Carrma pressed the side of her face more securely to his chest listening to the rhythmic beat. His fingers brushed her hair and for the first time since she was a child before the war that took her mother's life, she felt safe…protected. Gone were all the silly fantasies she had of him and the image she had in her mind that was the persona he used as a mask.

What was left and what had been forged between them battling the spiders was so much more. She had heard a human say once talking about an ancient story in that you marry the king but love the man. At the time, it sounded stupid to her because they were one and the same being, but now she knew better.

Carrma took in a slow breath while wrapped in his warmth. "You're a living legend when it comes to battle tactics and one on one combat. You're also a king, but that is not all that you are though sometimes it will be. The man will be lost and the king will take over. You are a man of deep feelings you hide well and you're a complexity that has no end, and I have no delusions that this will be easy, but I love you…the man not just the king."

Their lips met in reverenced awe at one another. To each other, they were the very thing the other needed. The delicate press quickly turned heated as they sought the other's body in need of the completion they already felt within their hearts. Acceptance, fulfillment.

Thranduil feasted upon her pink lips and ran his mouth over the pulse in her neck feeling her excitement quicken the throbbing under his tongue and the movements of her hands. He had believed before her that this part of his life was over and that he would never again find himself lost in sensations of his body and heart as they twined together.

All conscious thought faded and his whole existence was Carrma. Her sighs of pleasure, her grabbing hands that roved over his body and gripped his hair, and her eager body sliding against his – desperate for more. His own body was more than eager; he felt as if he might truly die for the craving for her. "I need you."

Carrma removed her teeth that nipped and bit on his shoulder. She traced a hand down his side feeling the definition of his muscles, and her other hand ran down his back to grip his well toned ass. She decided he was the most tempting thing in existence. "I'm right here." She thought to encourage him to slide within her moist heat, but watched the hungry predator in his eyes clear making it known that his words now held a different meaning.

Carrma pushed his shoulder causing him to move back off of her so that he would sit. She relished the fact that he willingly followed her lead. She straddled him pinning his throbbing hardness between their bodies.

A shuttered breath left his lips, and she ran her hand up his neck to hold the side of his jaw and cheek. He truly was perfection.

Carrma let him see that she understood the statement he made no longer conveyed a physical meaning. Her hand slid down over his heart and a finger lightly toyed with the pendent that had found its way back to him. She pressed down harder with her hand, "I'm here." She pressed her lips to his while their eyes remained locked, and they breathed each other's breath.

Thranduil lifted her as the predator within would no longer be held at bay. He held her weight against his body by wrapping an arm around her and instead of lowering her so that he could slide inside, he moved his hips while watching her face as if feasting on her reaction.

Carrma had expected to feel his hard length invade her body, but instead he pressed a little as if he would then he rocked. His now wet tip slid up rubbing her sensitive bud. She gasped at the unbelievable sensation while trapped in the intensity of his dominant blue eyes. It was too much, and she cried out starting to close her eyes and arch against him lost in pleasure.

Thranduil ran his fingers up the back of her scalp and gripped her hair forcing her face to remain in front of his, "Stay with me."

Carrma could barely register his words as he continued to torturously slide almost entering then rubbing against her. She forced herself to keep her eyes on his and after a few moments it was no longer difficult because his commanding and enraptured stare had captured her. In that moment, she remembered that when she found her first release that he had not. Even now he was holding himself back again.

When Thranduil repeated the movement, Carrma tried to press down to finally feel him sink inside all the way to the hilt. "Please."

Thranduil only allowed her a couple inches at most before moving her back up.

Carrma gripped her nails pressing them into his shoulders and let out a frustrated moan. From what he did before, she knew she couldn't take much more, and she wanted his enjoyment too. "Please Thranduil." She remembered his words, "I need you."

With those simple words spoken, Thranduil pulled her down filling her while feeling her grip around him in a quaking heat. They worked together giving and taking more. He knew every movement was its own rapture, every gasp and sigh from her mouth a gift from the gods. He felt her clench, spasm through her release, and he savored the determined look in her eyes letting him know even now she wanted more.

Her hungry moans filled his ears, and her hands gripped his body straining to find every last measure of his length he expertly worked inside her. His mouth devoured hers as his hands explored and worked her body as they changed positions struggling for more. Always more.

Thranduil was barely able to hold on till he heard the now familiar sound from her lips letting him know she was close again. His commanding voice ran over her body and tightened her need even more if that was possible, "My love. Come with me."

Lost in sensation and the power of his voice, she screamed out unable to contain the explosion that racked her body. Each pulse of release did not die but built even more, and she felt herself somehow tied to him. Instinctively she knew that her body would dance in the pleasure he was giving until he himself finally let go and that he was riding the wave with her. An unknown amount of time passed as she lost conscious thought and awareness of her surroundings. The final outburst ripped through her with the sound of Thranduil growling out as he thrust himself one last time.

Carrma couldn't catch her breath as her body relaxed back in the hammock of her making. "What…the Morgoth…was that?"

Thranduil lay beside her still holding onto her – unable to let go even while in a state of utter exhaustion. "Your praise…knows no bounds my love."

A gasping laugh left her lips. "Sorry. That was…I don't even have words. Was that the other magic you said you were going to show me?"

Thranduil turned on his side and partially leaned over her so he could watch her and toy with one of her nipples that he believed was intentionally pointing at him to tempt him again, "Part of the pledge bond between paired Elves. It's one of the reasons why we never stray from our marriage beds because that kind of magic only works with one you are pledged to in bond."

Carrma squinted her eyes and smacked his hand away from her breast, "I've never heard of that. You just made that up."

Thranduil raised an eyebrow and watched his own hand inch from her waist up her ribs as he made a second attempt to get back to his temptation.

Carrma poked him in the chest. "Prove it."

"And how exactly do you wish me to do that?" His finger tips ran back and forth over her breast. He flung his hair out so that it blanketed over her sensitive skin. His mouth lowered letting his tongue join in his fun before his heated mouth sucked and teeth bit.

Carrma didn't notice that he had distracted her as he tipped his head to one side causing his shimmering hair to glide against her skin. She felt his fingers sink inside and his thumb from the same hand rubbing slow circles then fast ones over the same delicate spot within her folds. She tipped her hips working against his hand before she realized he evaded her.

Her gasping voice held little demand, "You didn't prove it."

Thranduil lifted his mouth from her breast and let her watch as his tongue flicked back and forth, "I did prove one thing." His sapphire eyes finally lifted to hers, and she would have came if he hadn't slowed his hand in anticipation of her reaction to his eyes, which was why he had made her watch them earlier when he pleasured her. He grinned knowing that in the future a mere heated glance would make her wet for him in expectation.

"What?" She barely got the word out.

"That you want me." Thranduil purposefully kept his hand moving slow, but in time with what he was now doing to her other breast.

She gave up, "I do. Faster."

"No." Thranduil relished giving her a slow climb toward the inevitable peak. By slowing down, he knew that she would feel each flick, every change in pressure as he teased her toward her end that would then pulse all the harder for it. He wanted to drive her crazy, and it was working.

Carrma knew if she were by herself that she would have moved faster and would have already felt the quick bounding release. She rubbed a hand over her face and into her hair knowing if she did not trust he knew what he was doing that she would have stopped him out of sheer frustration by now. His mouth moved over different places on her body as his hand continued to work. It was maddening. It was frustrating. She knew it must have been what he had been feeling earlier when he took care of her and was denying himself…she loved it.

When Carrma felt the inevitable climb of the ending near, she strained underneath him and gripped his arm struggling trying to make him go faster, but he would not. "Thranduil." She thrashed a few times and threw her head back into the hammock as she finally reached the top of the precipice. She fell over the top feeling the crashing shudder rock her body, which seemed to pulse in long unending vibrations that ran down her legs.

Minutes later, Carrma curled up against Thranduil, "What kind of magic was that one?"

Thranduil grinned and held her tighter, "Not magic but skill. There are positives to being with an Elvenking who is thousands of years old, and I intend to show you all of them."

Carrma pushed at his chest. "You're so arrogant."

"But you like that. And maybe we can put some of your powers to use and discover new things together." Thranduil's hand started inching over her ribs again.

"Oh no, you don't." She smacked his hand away, "I need a break and something to eat." She saw that he was smiling all smugly just as he relaxed his mind and guided her so she could hear his thoughts.

Carrma smacked him on the chest and smiled. "I'm talking about food."

Thranduil shrugged a shoulder. "See you can hear thoughts and that last part I was thinking was only a suggestion."

Carrma sat up quickly and pressed a finger to his chest. She was about to say something smart when she noticed his eyes went wide a moment as he watched her breasts giggle to a stop. The confused expression was too adorable to ignore. "Alright, the food can wait."

**A/N: **As George Takei would say, "Ooohh myyyyy." You have to know just before I wrote this chapter I changed my wallpaper to Thrandy staring straight at me while snow falls all around him. Goodness that close up pic of his eyes and lips is mesmerizing and all kinds of hot hottie hot. Damn! Fucktacular is what comes to mind. Ok, sorry. What do you think of the hotness?


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: TH Thranduil's Promise**

**Chapter 6: Forest**

**Spoiler Alert: **The Hobbit and LOTR (books, maps and movies)

**Warnings: **Language, Sexual Situations – ahem yes seriously this chapter, Violence, AU (not all canon)

**Pairing:** Thranduil/Unnamed Elfmaiden from Rivendell (I'm giving her a name.)

**Summary:** Ship AU: Thranduil must allow one of Elrond's Elfmaidens into his realm to assist him with a mutual foe. He does not want her aid nor does he desire the feelings that her arrival stirs inside him.

**A/N: **I'm playing loose with canon timeframes and facts in this AU. I'm just letting the characters do what they want. Thank you for the feedback! It helps/encourages me to write.

Over the next two weeks, Carrma practiced protecting an ever growing number of deer in circles from spiders, and then Thranduil would make short measure of the spiders. By night, they would indulge in exploring each other's bodies.

At the end of the second week, they were fairly sure they had killed off all of the spiders. On the way back to Thranduil's mountain, they found a small pocket of spiders.

"Where are they coming from?" Carrma glanced around the field they were in and sent her Wisps out to search the area.

"I do not know. More keep appearing."

A Wisp zipped back to Carrma and let out a low sound only she could hear. "Great."

Knowing he did not need to ask what that meant, Tranduil followed Carrma into the forest. He felt the press of her mind, and he allowed her to speak to him telepathically, "There is an object of power, and it seems that the spiders are regenerating there."

Thranduil though it was absurd, but he also thought it was equally as bizarre that he was now sharing his mind, heart and body with a member of the Sect. He answered her using thought, "What kind of object and how do we destroy it?"

Carrma answered in kind, "Don't know. The Wisps can't see because of a protective shield."

"Have you ever encountered an object that regenerates enemies before?"

"No." Carrma sprinted forward following the Wisp knowing that Thranduil would follow them.

After thirty minutes, the Wisp stopped and bounced up and down. "We're here. It's inside the thicket of trees that aren't trees."

Thranduil put his hand on his black hilt and allowed his eyes to adjust so he could see past the strong glamour. There protected inside the circle of fake trees he could see tracks and a silver chest in the center. He let out a deep breath. "It appears they were not spawning in the ruins of Dol Guldur after all. What do you suppose is inside the metallic chest?"

"I think it's made of wood, but this isn't right." Carrma held her arm out to block his passage as she stepped back taking him with her.

Thranduil pushed at the image of the chest several times as he walked backwards with her before he caught a glimpse of legs sticking out of the chest. The silver of the chest shimmered then appeared to be ancient silver wood. "It cannot be."

Carrma kept backing him up even though he started to press forward, "We cannot linger. The illusions of trees are a protection spell. If you touch them, you will burn."

Thranduil ceased to hear her as he pressed harder to walk forward.

Carrma turned to the trees to see them shimmer then five giant spiders appeared outside the enchanted circle. Seeing that Thranduil did not respond to the threat, Carrma flung her arm away from her and allowed the Wisps to carry the spiders off. She conjured a fire pit and torched them allowing the Wisps to feed.

Carrma spoke telepathically calling his name, but he did not respond. She tried talking out loud, "Thranduil!" No response.

She glanced at the silver wood box that had legs like a spider and felt a pull to touch it. She averted her eyes, "Damn."

Thranduil pushed her away. He sprinted for the wall of fake trees in an attempt to gain the box.

Carrma threw up her hands and used power to pull him back to a sizable oak tree. Thranduil jerked and twisted as she called forth large limbs to secure him in place. He never spoke, but continued to pull and try to twist free.

Carrma inspected his face and saw an incredibly thin green spider web covering his eyes. She almost reached out to swipe it away, but she felt a surge of power. "Thranduil. You've been spelled. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, fight against it."

Thranduil did not respond. His gaze was locked on the box.

More spiders appeared out of thin air next to the illusion of trees, and Carrma flicked her wrist sending them into the Wisp wind to the fire pit she made.

Carrma tried and failed to contact Lord Elrond. "Damn it."

After an hour of contemplation and frying spiders, she approached Thranduil again. "I think I can free you, but I don't like casting so close to your face especially since I've never worked against this kind of spell before."

She saw no recognition on his face that he heard her; he continued thrash causing new cuts on his wrists and neck. "It's a new spell, but it feels like old power. I can't use a lot of my usual incantations or spells because it will drain you to save itself, and it could be frying your mind right now, so I can't wait any longer."

Carrma raised her hands aiming at the intricate green web that was stretched over his eyes. She chanted incantations and separation spells for a time. The web lifted away from his face, but it tried to peal his skin off in the process. Several cuts appeared and blood dripped down his face. Her horror at causing him pain threatened to break her concentration, but she was able to push her feelings back and focus.

Carrma instantly drew melding runes in the air and used wind to float them to the different places on his skin where the web was attached. His skin went back into place, and the web continued to move toward her. She felt its intent to bind to the caster who removed it – yet another defense. She stepped to the side, and it changed direction so it was still headed to her. "Fuck!"

Carrma didn't have enough time to pick the new magic tracker apart, so she could understand how it worked. She tried something basic and put an illusion of herself over her skin then stepped back leaving it in place. She moved back more then to the side seeing that it still went for the illusion. Knowing that it was made of air and it would go through it then find her again, she moved her illusion in front of a tree just before impact.

The magic of the web wrapped around the tree sending out a scorching golden fire. Carrma backed away as the entire tree went up in flame. She felt heat under the ground and knew even the roots were burning. Insects came out of the ground and fire followed them. "Fucked up big time."

Carrma sprinted for Thranduil seeing that he was unconscious lying on the ground. She used her fog to lift him and start him away from the now charred tree and burning ground. Grabbing his arm, she sent them riding her now black fog high into the air and away from the area.

At a relatively safe distance, Carrma turned to see the fire burning every living thing and spreading outward. She could feel its intent to find and burn, and since she guided it to a tree instead of her, it was going to devour everything until she stopped it.

Carrma placed a hand over Thranduil's head and chanted healing spells. He started breathing more naturally, but his eyes remained closed.

Her eyes turned to movement and saw a group of deer she had practiced on and saved from spiders running amongst the flame. They were not on fire, and she remembered she left the circle of stones around them for protection because a fawn was in the group.

"Might work." Carrma grabbed all of her enchanted stones from her robe and threw them into the air. She guided them so they would land surrounding the outer border of the fire. The stones landed on the ground and activated. When the fire reached the stones, the flame could not go any further.

Over the next five hours, Carma slowly moved the stones inward to the burning tree. During this time, she was able to use her skills at being a natural to figure out how the magic worked. It would have taken a team of regular Sect a month to do the same.

Carrma used a mixture of growing runes and calcified spider brains to put out the fire on the center tree, then she smiled as the rest of the fire dissipated.

Carrma lowered Thranduil to the ground on a bed of ferns. The healing spell had done its job, and the cuts on his face were healed. Carrma thought he should have awoken by now. "Thranduil?" She sat and leaned over him watching his face. "Thranduil. If you can hear me, say something."

Thranduil did not speak but his head twitched to the side.

"It's ok. I'm here. Wake up my love." Carrma patted his chest hoping that her spells and runes had not damaged him in some way. She whispered several healing chants not knowing which might help the most. She took the ring off her hand and put it on his knowing it had healing properties. When it became dark, she floated him to where some larger trees were and created her canopy room.

Carrma snuggled beside him and listened to him breathing. Eventually, she fell asleep as the Wisps guarded them and killed several groups of giant spiders that appeared near the magical box behind the fake trees.

"Get off me woman. I cannot breath." Thranduil's eyes barely opened.

Carrma woke to find she had thrown her arm over Thranduil's chest as she slept. "You're awake. I thought I might have killed you when I removed that web. Or melted your eyes. Or cooked your brain." Carrma lightly kissed him on his forehead then on his lips as he sat up.

"Sure you are not an assassin set on killing me?" Thranduil rubbed his head finding it hurt and that his body was stiff. "What happened? I feel as if I have been to war."

"There were some complications with a spell." Carrma ran her fingers over the ring he now wore.

Thranduil looked at their hands then glanced out over the charred forest. "You burned down half of Mirkwood."

"It wasn't on purpose. The box you looked at enchanted you. A web spell was drawing you into the tree fire trap. I managed to tie you to a tree and remove the spell, but it came after me and I tricked it into using its energy up on a tree. That's what caused all this."

Thranduil stared at her then out at the smoking woods.

"Besides it was worth it."

"Worth it?" He turned to her.

"Yes. One, it was the forest or you that was going to burn. Two, I left a stone circle around one group of deer before and they could run through the fire without being harmed, so we now know I can probably do the same thing with the army as long as the bulk of them stay together in one place when you do your swallow up the Orc into the ground thing."

Thranduil barely heard her rambling because he was focusing on the fact she saved him from burning to death. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "Thank you my Lady."

Carrma gripped him equally as tight knowing that she had come close to losing him. After a time when he did not loosen his grip, she decided he might be living horrors of the past and thinking about his body being melted as he tried to save her mother. "You're welcome, but thank you for what? Saving you or having the plan to save the army?"

"Both." Thranduil ignored the pain in his body and fed from her lips until he heard her heart pounding and her face was flushed a pretty pink for him. "My Lady, we had better start the day or I fear we shall never leave this tree."

Carrma smiled. "Is that such a terrible plan?"

Thranduil glanced toward a sound. He saw a very small patch of ground where trees were not burned. They shimmered and five spiders appeared. "Possibly."

Carrma released Thranduil and walked to the open wall. She flicked her wrist and sent them to her original fire pit that was now very hard to distinguish from the surrounding charred forest.

"I remember the box. Made of silver wood that had spider legs." Thranduil moved to exit the canopy room.

"Oh, no you don't. Not that again. Don't go looking for it or it will spell you again." Carrma grabbed his arm and turned him to the side. "Even the Wisps won't go near it. They keep calling it Galathilion's seedling box whatever that is. Can you connect to Elrond and ask him?"

"No need." Thranduil adjusted his clothing and sheathed his sword, "It was a silver tree Yavanna made that was exactly like Telperion, but light did not emanate from it. Galathilion was its name and there were many saplings, so the Wisps believe this was the box made from Galathilion's first sapling that then held the other saplings. One sapling was Celeborn which lead to White Tree of Númenor."

"And then to the White Tree of Gondor?"

"Yes the same. Many saplings were used and distributed, but the sapling box with several saplings left was stolen and never recovered. I always suspected it was the Dwarves."

Carrma ignored the last part. "With Elrond's help, I may be able to break the enchantment faster. The magic of the box that sustains saplings for thousands of years must be fueling the spells. There could be usable saplings inside."

"More importantly, who placed the box here and who spelled it?"

"Let me work on the magic, and you work on the conspiracy of it all. Can you have Elrond contact…no I can try to do that myself again now that I'm calmer." Carrma concentrated on reaching Lord Elrond's mind.

Thranduil broke the last of his lembas bread in half and ate it then offered her the other half. Thranduil thought about who would dare enter his lands and how they went unnoticed. _The Dwarves? No, they can barely put their boots on let alone cast such an intricate spell. Another Elf? No, they would not risk my wrath. The Dark Lord? But why would he target me so specifically with giant spiders? One of his minions perhaps?_

"It's a wizard." Carrma yelled at Thranduil using her mind.

Thanduil shook his head no. _Gandalf would never do such a thing. He would never endanger innocents or his precious Dwarves._ _He is not the only wizard, but the others are useless but Saruman. _"Saruman perchance."

Carrma waved her hand trying to get Thranduil's attention while she telepathically yelled at him, "Gandalf…"

Thranduil cut her off, "Do not be ridiculous. If a wizard created his spider box that keeps the foul creatures regenerating it would not be Gandalf. He is a do gooder, but Saruman is kind of an ass."

"Why thank you."

Thranduil turned at the sound of a sarcastic masculine voice.

**A/N: Alright. I read over the first five chapters and made some changed then wrote this. Just about took me all day. Thank you for the reviews as they encourage me to write more.**


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